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Top-down view of a 1kg center-cut salmon fillet with sea salt, sugar, black pepper, and chopped dill on a white marble surface.

Classic homemade gravlax

Gravlax is a classic Scandinavian cured salmon—fresh fillet rubbed with salt, sugar, and dill—then rested until silky, lightly seasoned, and sliceable paper-thin. Serve with mustard–dill sauce and use it everywhere: canapés, brunch boards, salads, eggs, potato dishes, blinis, or elegant appetizers.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Curing/resting time 2 days
Total Time 2 days 20 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Breakfast / Brunch
Cuisine: Finnish, Nordic, Swedish
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kg (2.2 lbs) center-cut salmon skin-on, pin-boned
  • 30 gr (2 tbsp) coarse sea salt
  • 30 gr (2 tbsp) sugar white or light-brown
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 40-50 gr (2 bunches) fresh dill roughly chopped

Method
 

  1. Prepare the cure: Crush peppercorns and combine with kosher salt and brown sugar.
  2. Check the salmon: Remove any pin bones with tweezers. Pat the fish dry.
  3. Season with alcohol: Place the salmon skin‑side down on parchment; drizzle aquavit (or your chosen spirit) over the flesh and rub it in.
  4. Apply cure and herbs: Spread the salt‑sugar mixture evenly over the flesh and top generously with chopped dill.
  5. Wrap and weight: Wrap the salmon tightly in plastic, place it in a dish and lay a cutting board or plate on top, weighed down with cans or jars. Refrigerate for 12 hours.
  6. Flip and baste: After 12 hours, unwrap the salmon, baste it with the accumulated juices, flip it over, rewrap and refrigerate for another 12 hours. Repeat once more; total curing time is ~36 hours.
  7. Finish and slice: Unwrap, gently scrape off excess cure and dill, pat dry and slice very thinly at an angle. Use a long, sharp knife for the cleanest slices.